01 - Laserfiche WebLink

Councilmember Pentin asked if there is metadata from the compilation and whether the City could use this to be able to use it electronically. Mr. Otto said staff will be able to make the entire document electronic and searchable. They also have a GIS group and they can link it to a GIS layer, as well as permit software to link it to individual addresses. He clarified that the 106 properties could also have a link or note to the file. Vice-Mayor Brown thanked Ms. Petrin for her thorough report and asked for the first few reasons for homes to fall out of the category of being a potential historic resource. Ms. Petrin said when looking at buildings and comparing them to the permit research they found discrepancies and surprising findings. There is a fairly architectural traditional character that prevails in residential neighborhoods in the Downtown and in many cases, regardless if they have been changed over time, they still retain traditional features. They try to understand the original condition of the constructed building and whether or not the existing building still conveys its original appearance. What is quite common in towns is that over time buildings extend at the rear or that additions are out of scale; however, this necessarily does not mean a building no longer retains integrity. They also look closely at original door and window opening changes, whether the home retains its original material or not, and whether the setting contributes to its character. Vice-Mayor Brown asked and confirmed that a change in a mailboxes, door knobs, paint colors or windows would not necessarily disallow a home to be a potential California resource. Vice-Mayor Brown said it sounds like the historic context statement isolated 12 styles which are present in Downtown Pleasanton. Ms. Petrin said they identified the common styles in the statement and when they looked more closely in the field for the survey, quite often they found good examples of those styles. Mr. Otto recapped the summary of the staff report and noted that there were 5 other structures that were previously surveyed as part of prior development applications, 3 of which qualified, leaving 91 homes qualifying as historic resources. He lastly displayed 2 Queen Anne style homes, one a qualifying home and one home which did not qualify and briefly explained reasons for and against being qualified as an historic resource. Mr. Otto said the survey will provide several benefits. It will save property owners 30 to 45 days and upwards of $5,000 by not having to complete their own historic evaluations. It will let allow property owners to know whether a structure is considered historic and allow them to plan accordingly. It will allow people to make informed real estate decisions. It will aid staff and its Commissions and Council in the review of applications that involve changes to structures built before 1942 and will also aid the City in its preservation of historic structures in the Downtown. For these reasons staff recommends the City Council accept the historic survey. He said the second item for consideration is an amendment to the Municipal Code. The City currently has a process that requires a staff level administrative design review for additions to single family homes that exceed 10 feet in height, roof changes (pitch) that exceed 10 feet in height, and new windows installed above 10 feet in height. Some exterior changes not subject to design review could significantly affect character-defining features of historic homes to a point where the structure no longer qualifies as an historic resource. The task force recommended the City adopt a code amendment that would require design review to ensure no further changes would be made to homes that would no longer allow them to qualify as an historic resource. Generally, the code amendment would require a staff level design review for additions and exterior modifications to any floor or height of the structure of a single family home in the Downtown residential zone that is determined to be a historic resource. Staff will know based on the historic resource survey which homes are subject to the new regulation. City Council Minutes Page 8 of 16 November 3,2015